16 July 1930

A Transcontinental Air Transport Ford 5-AT-B airliner, NC9606, City of Columbus, 1930.

16 July 1930: Transcontinental Air Transport and Western Air Express merged to form Transcontinental & Western Air (T&WA).

The new company would become one of  the most important international airlines. In 1950, it changed its name to Trans World Airlines. TWA became a part of American Airlines, 1 December 2001.

A Western Air Express Fokker F-32 airliner, NC333N, 1930.

© 2016, Bryan R. Swopes

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3 thoughts on “16 July 1930

  1. In the Kansas City National Airline History Museum at Downtown Airport, now unfortunately closed over a hangar rent dispute, are artifacts from the days when Trans Continental and Western Air merged. The most interesting item, for me, is the Indian head logo cut out from the fabric side of a Fokker tri-motor. After the Knute Rockne crash in Kansas, the wooden winged Fokkers were essentially condemned and taken to Fairfax Airport where they were stripped of engines and instruments and burned. Someone had the foresight to cut out one of the logos and preserve it. It is beautiful even after 90 years, with a brilliant red background still shining and the gold and black Indian looking like gold leaf.

    The museum is sueing the landlord, but I fear it won’t be successful. What will happen to the museum’s Lockheed Constellation, Douglas DC-3, Martin 4-0-4, Northrop Delta, Disney/TWA Moonliner, simulators, avionics, uniforms, maps, and tons of other memorabilia is uncertain.

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